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One million pound celebration for United for UNICEF - a winning partnership
News item 27 January 2003

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On Sunday 26 January Manchester United, the globally renowned football club, handed over a cheque for £1 million to UNICEF, the world's largest organisation working for children. The presentation, which was made by Sir Alex Ferguson before the team's FA Cup head to head with West Ham Utd, marked the culmination of a three-year ground-breaking United for UNICEF partnership.

The money, which has been raised through a series of events, auctions and competitions since the partnership was launched in November 1999, is being used to support UNICEF's essential work to help provide children with an education. It is in India that the impact of United for UNICEF has been most dramatic. Much of the money that has been raised has made it possible for more than 350,000 boys and girls, living in some of the country's most remote villages, to go to school for the first time.

"For the last three years our dynamic partnership with Manchester United has played a vital role in helping and supporting UNICEF's fundraising and advocacy work with disadvantaged children across the globe," said David Bull, Executive Director of UNICEF UK. "On behalf of everyone here at UNICEF UK, I would like to thank Manchester United for their tremendous support over the last three years. This really is a wonderful achievement."

Since November 1999, David Beckham, Wes Brown, Quinton Fortune, Ryan Giggs, Mikael Silvestre, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Seba Veron have all taken active roles, participating in campaigns and fundraising work to establish education and recreational programmes for children involving football around the world. In July 2001 the Manager and some of the players took some time out of their hectic tour of the Far East to visit a UNICEF-supported centre in Bangkok which offers protection and development for girls as young as five years old who have been abused or exploited. In August 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed Special Representative to UNICEF UK in recognition of the pioneering role he has played in ensuring the success of the partnership.

"UNICEF's work is crucial and it is only once you have experienced it first hand do you realise how essential that work is," said Sir Alex Ferguson. "Thanks to the players, all the fans and everyone here at the club, we have raised much-needed money which will go towards improving the education of some of the world's most vulnerable children."

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